NORTH BERGEN -- High Tech High School’s National Honor Society sponsored a book drive recently to benefit the nonprofit youth outreach center Covenant House’s Crisis Care in formerly flood-stricken Atlantic City, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, director of High Tech.

“Hurricane Sandy left a great path of destruction in its wake,” said Joan Marie Bellotti, Department Liaison for High Tech’s Language Arts Department and co-facilitator of the NHS. “Covenant House lost vital educational materials as a result of Sandy.”

Given that fact that the NHS solicited donations of various standardized test review books, biology textbooks, lab manuals, writing aids, and novels from staff and students. In all, those donations filled 12 cartons to replenish the bookshelves at Covenant House in Atlantic City.

David Polito, veteran social studies instructor and co-facilitator of the NHS, kindly took the time to drive down to Atlantic City. He personally handed over the cartons of donated books to the Crisis Care division of Covenant House.

In 1989, the nonprofit Covenant House began its outreach programs in the Garden State, providing basic necessities to homeless youth on the streets of Newark and Atlantic City. Since then, Covenant House has added more services and improved upon the quality of those services with expanded outreach programs in Paterson and Cumberland County. Covenant House has also formed partnerships with schools, organizations, and other agencies to serve all youth in need in New Jersey.